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Jewels of Bohemia September 2016 part 5

Our instructions from Milan were to have our luggage in front of our doors by 7:30 and be ready to leave this lovely village at 8:30. Paul and I appear to be one of the last of our group to go through the breakfast buffet and the food in many of the buffet bowls is nearly gone. The dining room is packed with tourists but Milan must have been given heads up on the crowd this morning because the tables along one wall have been reserved for our group. The staff is doing their best to replenish the food so Paul and I don’t go hungry, although as much as we have been eating it wouldn’t have hurt us to do without a meal!

One last look at Cesky Krumlov

The sky is overcast this morning and it is chilly as we leave The Old Inn Hotel to walk to the bus. I drink in the atmosphere of this enchanted city as we make our way to the bus and know that I will never forget Cesky Krumlov.

Our first stop today is at the Budweiser Budvar Brewery in Ceske Budejovice. We are met in the lobby by a young woman who will guide us through the brewery. The unusual thing is that our guide has her kindergarten age daughter along too. Our guide begins by telling us some history of the plant which was founded in 1895 but beer was brewed in Ceske Budejovice back in the 13th century. The U.S. brewer took the name Budweiser in 1876 because the brand was known for top quality beer. There has been a huge brouhaha between these two companies over the rights to use the name Budweiser on their product causing them to end up in court at various times. In the lobby where the young woman is talking to us there is a large sign where it asks would you rather drink the beer of kings or the king of beers. I guess the feud continues :).

This is one side of the sign saying Beer Of Kings or King of Beers

Our guide takes us outside and we walk by stacks of empty plastic beer crates that tower above our heads. We stop at a small plot of ground where some hops are growing which allows us to see what the plant and the grain look like. We also stop and look at the water holding tanks that are filled with the companies own spring water. The young lady escorts us into a building where we climb a few flights of stairs to a balcony and in the room below are several large copper stills. After we learn a little about the process taking place in this room we cross over to another building that is the bottling facility on one end and a recycling plant on the other end.

Enormous Copper stills

The first impression I have of the plant is that it is quite noisy and a big place. There are hardly any people working down here, most of the work is done by robots. Our guide confirms that the largest percentages of people employed at the company are in management and sales. Watching lines of green bottles snake down the conveyor belts is almost hypnotic. The machines that the recycled bottles pass through at lightning speed are detecting cracks or chips and the flawed bottles are kicked into tub sitting to the side of the machines, no humans could ever detect flaws at that speed! There are huge stainless steel vats that wash and remove labels from the recycled bottles. Gee, humans are pretty much obsolete in this plant.

Robots at work with one human overseeing this area

This machine was one that detected flaws in the recycled bottles.

We now make our way to where the beer is being fermented and are given a sample of beer to try. It is a bit early in the morning for me so I take one sip to be polite. We also are shown the different malt that is used to make different types of beer. I must comment on how well-behaved our guides little girl was throughout the entire tour. I’m not sure she ever said anything! When our tour is over we return to the lobby where several of us look through the gift shop. I pass on buying anything but I think several bottle openers will be coming back to the States. I think it is while we are walking back to the bus that Paul quips that this OAT tour should be called “Brewers of Bohemia” instead of “Jewels of Bohemia “because of all the varieties of beers we have sampled and now the tour of the Budweiser Budvar plant. I thought that was darn funny. This seems a good place to mention that the people of the Czech Republic lead the world in beer consumption per capita!

Jennifer and Paul with their beer sample

This is the only photo that I got of our guides well-behaved daughter and then only a portion of her!

This is a monument to the carp industry in Trebon

Our next stop is at the 12th century village of Trebon. Trebon’s claim to fame is the carp that are raised in numerous lakes/ponds that surround the village. Carp is the traditional dish for Czech’s on Christmas Eve and Trebon provides most of the fish for this traditional meal. Waessik drops us off by one of the fish ponds, which I would call a lake, and we walk the length of the dam. It is a popular place for bikers, walkers and we even meet a “train” that is carrying tourists. Hey, there is a nuthatch, one of my favorite birds, walking down the trunk of a tree head first. I spot another one of the comical birds in the next tree. As we near a dock, in addition to the mallards swimming nearby the concrete structure hoping for some bread crumbs, there are numerous carp that can be seen too.

Tourist train

The fish “pond” that we hiked along.

Milan stops at a map that shows the village, ponds and the surrounding landscape. He explains how the water levels in the ponds are lowered so the carp can be netted and harvested. The natural marshes and wetlands can hold all the water that is released from the ponds although they only do one pond at a time. I can’t fathom the amount of water that would have to be drained to get the fish out! I didn’t ask or more likely didn’t hear how the ponds are filled back up though; surely they can’t depend on run off from rains!

Signboard showing Trebon and the surrounding landscape. It is not a clear photo but still gives an idea of the town and surroundings

The route Milan takes us on passes by a portion of the old town fortification; there is a small roundish house that looks as though the seven dwarfs should start marching through the door on their way to work. We continue to a beautiful park that lies next to a sprawling white building. We are to eat lunch in a restaurant that lies underneath the building and guess what we are having for lunch? We make our way into the cellar like room where we are all seated at a long table.

The round house that my imagination decided that it could be the dwelling of the seven dwarfs 🙂

Waiting for our meal of carp. Paul’s photo

Paul can’t have the carp due to his allergy to fish, and Mr. B declines the carp too. Well, the taste isn’t bad but I can’t deal with the tiny bones I find in my fish so I’m afraid I leave it on my plate. The side dishes were generous portions so there still was plenty to eat. I think several people, due to the bones, left the fish uneaten. I think we all felt bad about that.

Another colorful town square

When we have finished our meal, we follow Milan into the center of the village where lovely pastel colored houses line the street. Milan stops and with a grin opens his magic bag and pulls out a box. I believe Milan said that this food item he is about to share with us was one of his favorite treats that his dad would buy for him when he was growing up. Milan then offers us one of the large round cookies. This thing is huge and is made of two super thin wafers with a cinnamon/sugar filling in the middle. This treat is called a spa wafer perhaps because Trebon is also known as a spa town. Not the beer spa we saw in Prague but a health spa famous for the peat moss that is supposed to cure a variety of ailments. I must add that the spa wafer was very tasty and many of our group went back to the store to buy a box of them to take home. Paul went back to buy a single wafer to eat on the spot.

Milan with a pleased smile on his face as he is ready to pull a treat from his magic bag!

Some of our group posing with their spa wafers.

We follow Milan through a portion of pretty Trebon on our way to the bus and we just enjoy the atmosphere of the village. Our next visit takes place in Jindrichuv Hradec, it is “only” a 13th century town so it is a century younger than Trebon. After disembarking from the bus, Milan leads us on a route that gives us a wonderful view of the gigantic Castle that sits near the edge of a pond. It is a beautiful setting although if the sun would have been shining the scene would have been stunning.

A wonderful view of the Castle in Jindrichuv Hradec even without sunshine.

We walk on to the Castle museum which is famous for housing the largest working mechanical Nativity scene in the world. Although the biblical nativity scene is part of the sprawling set, there is a whole village depicting village life, (of Bethlehem I assume), with tiny people going about their daily routine. There are all kinds of different scenes such as musicians playing instruments, shepherds herding sheep, blacksmiths at work and much more. Many of these tiny figures move as they go about their work. The man who built this intricate nativity scene was Tomas Kryza who spent decades completing his project.

The band of musicians that actually moved as if playing their instruments.

There were several pieces of inlaid wood furniture scattered around the museum. I love this type o furniture!

When the Nativity show is over we explore some other parts of the museum including a portion of the museum that is dedicated to Ema Destinova. Those of you who are opera aficionados might recognize the famous opera singer of the early 1900’s. This woman preformed at many of the biggest opera houses in the world including the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. I am not an opera fan and had no idea who she was but after looking through the rooms filled with her personal items, I did conclude that her taste in furniture was certainly unique.

Furniture of Ema Destinova

We also visit the Gobelin Museum which is near the Castle Museum to see the tapestry collection. We first visit a woman who is busy repairing an old, worn tapestry. What tedious work though I suppose very fulfilling once you have finished the project. The woman answers a few questions from some of our group and then we move on to look through the very old tapestries on display. Since I have no photos of these works of art I assume that photos weren’t allowed which makes sense because I know many of the beautiful tapestries were on loan to the museum and very valuable.

A woman enjoying this small park we walked by.

Loading up on the bus

On our way to the bus we stroll through part of the Old Town with more eye-pleasing houses/buildings lining the square. I do love these town squares which invite people to sit down, relax and enjoy themselves. Our last stop of the day is Slavonice where we will spend two nights in this off the beaten path village. When we arrive in Slavonice, Waessik again drops us off on a main street since the bus won’t fit down the narrow street leading to the hotel. We are greeted by the owner/manager of the Dum U Ruze hotel and each of us are escorted to our rooms one at a time by Pavel the manager or by the young woman who is assisting him. Our group fills all the rooms of this charming hotel so of course, there are no other guests.

Pavel was a delightful man. Paul’s photo

We are given time to settle in our rooms before we are to meet in the lobby at a set time. Paul and I have a nice room the only drawback being that there is only one window and I must stand on my tiptoes to see the view of the town square. One oddity, and our room in Cesky Krumlov was this way too, is that the toilet is by itself so you must walk a few steps down the hall to the shower room to wash your hands.

Once we are assembled on the ground floor, Milan tells us we are in for a treat and then lets the manager take over. Pavel takes us beneath the hotel into the 12th century wine cellar carved into the rugged rock. Pavel talks about the wine that is stored here, I think some of the oldest dated back to the 1950’s, then tells us a story about a wine pilferer that was using the tunnels that run under the town to sneak into the cellar and steal some of the most valuable wine. This was brought to a stop by installing some heavy-duty doors to block off the tunnel access. We then sample three kinds of white wine from the cellar. I am not a white wine person and I do not care for dry wine at all and these three wines fit both categories. One of the wines makes me involuntarily grimace and I happen to be looking at one of the sisters at that moment. Ms. L has the same expression on her face and it makes us both laugh. Most people in our group appreciate and like the wine so I know that in the wine connoisseur world these were quality wines.

Wine bottles stored in the ancient cellar. Paul’s photo

We trudge back up the stairs, taking care here and there to duck our heads to avoid a low hanging rock. It is time for dinner and Milan has another surprise for us in that we will be entertained during dinner by a local band. The group called, Band Slavonice, is composed of four men, two playing guitars, one playing a bongo drum and one playing the violin. They are quite good and play a variety of songs including “Oh Susannah” and Country Roads by John Denver which we sing along with them on the chorus. They also play Czech music plus the violin player brings forth his inner Al Jolson on two songs where he sings solo, including the “Oh Yeah” while vigorously shaking his head at the same time, at the end of one of the songs. I loved it! We are sitting at the table nearest to the musicians and I become fascinated watching the finger and bow work of the violinist. Not having a single drop of musical talent, I can do nothing but admire and enjoy these four guys who are so talented.

Our evening entertainment, “Band Slavonice”. Paul’s photo

Pavel presenting the wine we will drink with our meal. Pavel really was a showman, making everything entertaining. Paul’s photo

To open the wine bottle, Pavel took a long sword and whacked the top off. It was quite impressive. Paul’s photo

Band Slavonice takes a break and Milan asks us to play a game involving questions about the members of the band. The winners will win a signed cd from Band Slavonice. The questions I remember are, guess the age of each man, how many children do they have, and what is their profession. Paul sits back and lets Jennifer, Ms. J, and me come up with our answers. The three of us begin to get silly about the professions of the group and soon we are laughing so hard that I have tears running down my face. Fortunately, we come to our senses in the end and not wanting to offend anyone, we give typical answers, dentist, teacher, farmer, and hmm, I can’t remember the other one. The three sisters end up winning the contest, they were very close or right on the ages of the men and may have had one profession right too. We losers end up buying a cd from the group which they willingly sign for us. It was great fun but our evening isn’t over yet as Milan asks if any of us want to participate in making our dessert. No one is shy in our group so several come forward and volunteer to help the chef in preparing the dish, including Jennifer. We don’t have to wait for it to bake as the dessert magically appears shortly after the volunteers have completed preparing the dessert. The tasty dish was a fine finish to an interesting and varied day.

Jennifer lending a hand making our dessert. Paul’s photo

The finished product. Paul’s photo

Next blog, exploring Slavonice and the surrounding area

There were flowers everywhere and the window baskets were just gorgeous.

Early this morning I look out our window upon the town square that is devoid of human beings. If it weren’t for a few parked cars it would be easy to think you had been transported back in time. With a little imagination, one can see horses clip-clopping along pulling carts and people in medieval garb bustling across the cobblestone square.

The town square early Sunday morning. Taken from our hotel window

The rich peal of church bells are a reminder that today is Sunday. Jennifer, Paul, and I manage to find our way down to the first floor, (getting around in The Old Inn Hotel is a bit like running a maze), where the breakfast buffet is. The buffet here is a definite down grade from the buffet in Prague but that being said we sure won’t go hungry.

Our instructions from Milan were to meet in the lobby at nine so Paul and I arrive fifteen minutes early. This is amazing, we aren’t the last ones to show up but we are close to it! This morning we will tour Cesky Krumlov with a local guide who introduces herself as Sharka. I doubt this is the correct spelling but I spelled her name the way it sounds.

Sharka and the map of Cesky Krumlov

Sharka relieves Milan of his guide duties and we traipse behind her to a small park with an amazing overview of Cesky Krumlov. Our blonde guide stops in front of a large sign board which depicts the layout of the village which also shows how the Vltava River meanders through the town, separating parts of the city. A few of us, including me, begin to drift towards the safety wall where the best vantage point to photograph the stunning view is. The postcard picture spread out below us shows off lovely red-tiled roofs with the stately Castle dominating the scene where it sits on the hilltop. The striking vista is accented by a deep blue sky which is streaked with ribbons of white clouds. Sharka is not putting up with defectors however and calls us back, telling her wayward flock that when she is finished speaking she will give us time to take photos. Fair enough.

Cesky Krumlov the fairytale city

Sharka runs through a brief history of Cesky Krumlov telling us the town was created around the castle in the 13th century by the Vilkovi family. The Rosenberg’s inherited the castle from the Vilkovi’s, (we will see the Rosenberg coat of arms, which is a five petaled rose, throughout our travels in Czech Republic). Cesky Krumlov, (Krumlov means crooked meadow in German), was at its most prosperous under the Rosenberg’s too. The Hapsburgs purchased the town in the early 17th century and transferred it to the Eggenbergs a couple of decades later. The Schwarzenberg’s inherited Cesky in the 18th century. That is a long string of “Bergs” connected to the history of Cesky Krumlov! Our lesson continues and we learn that after World War II all Germans were expelled from the country, it didn’t matter that many had lived here for centuries. The city was more or less left to fall into decay after this. Fortunately, Cesky Krumlov was spared from war damage hence the many surviving historic buildings here. Restoration of Cesky began in 1989 after the Velvet Revolution, (expelling of communists), and by 1992 it was placed on the Unesco World Heritage list.

Group photo Sharka took with my camera

The prettiest part of the castle in my opinion

Sharka is true to her word and allows us to take photos of the picturesque village and even volunteers to use our various cameras to take group photos. Once the photo frenzy is over, Milan shows up, and Sharka continues to the next stop. Jennifer and I observed in Prague how Milan was with us one minute and then, poof, gone the next when we were touring the city with Adella. That same habit holds true throughout our tour this morning. Jennifer came up with the theory, (I’m pretty sure a correct one), that Milan leaves us so as to not interfere with the local guide and then pops up out of nowhere to make sure our local guide is sticking to the time schedule.

Part of the castle complex where you can see how they utilized some of the rock for the wall( to the left).

Sharka makes several stops on this city tour including St. Vitus Cathedral where she informs us that about 3/4 of Czech’s aren’t followers of organized religion. We can’t go inside the cathedral today however because mass is being conducted. Eventually we end up at the Castle complex and at this entrance there are two captive bears, one on each side, living in the moat. One of the bears is out in the open but I have no luck taking a photo of the brown beast as it cavorts in its private pool.

One of the walled courtyards. What are you looking at Jennifer?

We stroll along the walkway that passes under some of the buildings of the Castle complex. The Castle complex includes forty buildings and palaces so it is huge! One of the most memorable parts for me is two separate courtyards (?) whose towering stone walls are decorated with paintings while the beautiful sky can be seen above us. When we emerge from the passageway we continue to the lookout that allows a bird’s-eye view of the town. This is where we were taking photos last night but this morning we must join the crush of tourists, all who are vying for an open spot at the rail for a photo-op. The view looking down on Cesky Krumlov is lovely but I for one am out of that mass of people as soon as possible.

I did squeeze into the mass of tourists to snap a photo or two of the village

Sharka giving us an intro to the Castle museum after which we say our thanks and goodbyes to her

We end our tour with Sharka at the Castle Museum where she dispenses more information about what is on display here. After thanking the energetic guide for her knowledge and time we continue into the museum to browse the artifacts on our own. Passing through different rooms we peruse a variety of items including chamber pots, old furniture, and beautiful dishes from the various “Bergs” eras. One item on exhibit that I find rather creepy is the bejeweled skeleton of St. Reparatus on display in a glass case.

St. Reparatus

This was close by the St. Reparatus exhibit. I wonder what the 7 swords in Mary’s(?) breast symbolize? Anyone?

Once we have finished the museum tour, Milan hands out tickets to those of us who want to climb to the top of the watch tower. Paul decides to sit this one out due to his knees as does one other group member. Jennifer and I join the rest of our party in climbing the steps through narrow passageways to the top. It is gorgeous up here although a bit crowded as other tourists are also checking out the views. When we get back to the entrance/exit to the tower I can’t find my ticket. Jennifer and C tell me they saw a ticket on one of the steps but had no idea it was mine. I must have pulled the piece of paper out of my pocket when I was getting a kleenex. Shoot! You need to insert the ticket into the machine for the barrier to drop in order to exit the tower. D comes to my rescue and when he activates the barrier I sneak out with him. Thank you Mr. D

One of the many gorgeous views from the top of the tower

Jennifer starting back down the stairs through the narrow passages.

Restaurant sign where we had lunch

It’s time for lunch and with Milan in the lead we arrive at the restaurant where we have a small room to ourselves. The meal of turkey, polenta and vegetables is tasty but the coolest thing is the half dark/half light beer that many people order. How did the bartender do that?

Milan posing for us with the half and half beer

We have some time on our own before our afternoon activity so Jennifer, Paul and I visit the monastery, well the grounds of the monastery in Cesky. The place as one might expect is neat as a pin with a nice garden still producing a variety of vegetables. The item that really catches my attention is the oversized chair made of tree limbs. Two sculptures are near the chair so I guess the rickety chair is supposed to be art.

The Monastery the three of us visited briefly

Art?

This afternoon we are rafting down the Vltava River. Upon the advice of Milan I have made the painful decision to leave my camera in the hotel room. Paul has brought his small camera since it is easy to stick in a pocket for protection from splashing water. The afternoon is perfect for being on the river since it is overcast and cool. We must walk from the hotel to where the rafts cast off and after donning the bulky life vests, grabbing a paddle, dividing ourselves into two groups, we climb aboard and cast off. Both rafts have a sturdy young man in the back and although we are told to help them out by paddling, quite often we don’t, (at least in our raft), and I think the captain is just fine with that.

Our happy companions in the other raft. All photos on the rafting trip are Paul’s

Cool rounded door in the rock wall

Paul is kept busy taking photos as there are many photos ops as we float through the beautiful village. Being on the river, as it was in Prague, gives a different perspective of the historic city. Most of the raft ride on the river is tame although there are a couple of man-made “rapids” that we go through. The river trip proves to be quite peaceful as we float along on the tannin-browned water. There are people fishing from the river banks while others are just out relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. Many other people are rafting or kayaking too, but the river isn’t over-crowded with boats. Our raft does encounter one problem when we are floating over some shallow riffles and it becomes caught on a big rock! It takes a little work, enough to make our raftsman grunt a few times, but he maneuvers us off the obstacle and we continue on. When we approach a bridge and see Waessik waving down at us we know our rafting trip is about to end.

“Scary” man-made rapids!

Fishing on a Sunday afternoon

We got a “kick” out of this bench

Once we are all back on shore Milan gathers us around saying he has a reward for us for surviving the rafting voyage on the Vltava. Milan pulls a bottle of booze from his black satchel, (Milan is never without his satchel), and pours a small amount of liquor into the plastic cups he has handed out to us. After a toast to our successful river ride, we take a sip of the liquor. Yow, that is too strong for me but I notice that most folks, including Paul and Jennifer, find the liquor quite tasty and down the burning liquid. What an enjoyable afternoon this was!

Time for the celebratory drink.

This evening, dinner is on our own but Milan has offered to take us to a restaurant that serves local beer and also to introduce us to the traditional snacks that the Czech people eat with their beer. “Count me in” is heard fourteen times. Once again our guide could have had an evening to himself but generously offers to introduce us to more of the local culture! Milan orders three favorite beer foods of the Czech people for us, potato pancakes, toast with blue cheese and pickled sausage. I can’t remember the name of the local beer but we Kansans liked it better than the Pilsner that is so popular. All of the snacks were good but the toast with blue cheese was my favorite. In fact we liked the appetizers so well that those at our table ordered another round of the snacks instead of opting for a meal. Milan insists on paying for the first batch of appetizers (not the beer) but we make up a little bit for his generosity by sharing the second go round with him that we paid for.

Enjoying the dessert Jennifer bought for our 40th

After this fun experience, Jennifer, Paul, and I walk to the river where Jennifer is treating Paul and I to dessert in order to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We kept this occasion under our hats because we didn’t want anyone making a fuss about it. We choose a restaurant that sits next to the river where we are seated at a riverside table. We enjoy our yummy dessert, (thanks Jennifer), as lovely music drifts through the night air. When we have finished eating we go stand on the bridge with several other folks and enjoy the young man and woman who were the source of the music that accompanied our dessert. Paul drops some money into the couples open violin case before we leave. The three of us wander back to the town square and sit down to listen to a classical guitarist. After enjoying a portion of this young man’s solo concert, Jennifer drops a few coins in his tip box and we call it a night.

After breakfast we walk to the bus and as we climb aboard Waessik as usual cheerfully greets us. The curvy, tree-lined road we are on follows the river so I watch for birds along or in the river. I see a few ducks, two herons, small hawks that resemble our kestrel (I’ve seen these small hawks other places already) and two large hawks. Not bad for bird watching at sixty miles an hour!

A poor photo of the road we traveled but notice there are no middle lines.

We arrive in Vyssi Brod, another beautiful village, where we are going to visit the monastery that dates back to the 13th century. Walking through the entrance we see in front of us a lovely church flanked by several other buildings. This monastery must be fairly large as there is a signpost directing people to the various sites. For some reason I found the signpost amusing, I guess it just seemed a bit out of place.

The Monastery

There is a young man who will accompany us on our tour of the monastery and our first stop is to tour the inside of the impressive white church that towers above the other buildings. As Milan is translating what our Czech speaking guide is telling us about the church, E and I are taking a few photos. Oops, Milan tells us that no photos are allowed in here. There was a “no photos” sign posted on the door but we missed seeing it. Well, I only snapped a few pictures and only a couple were decent (I kept them).

Milan translates for us that the monastery was founded by a member of the Rosenberg family in the 13th century. The legend goes that he fell into the river and he promised to build a monastery if someone would save him from death. A person, (or was it an angel?), did save him and he kept his promise by building this monastery in Vyssi Brod. The Rosenberg founder then invited Cistercian monks from Austria to run the monastery. The monastery was repressed under the Nazi’s and shut down under communism but now the Cistercian monks have reopened the monastery and are slowly restoring the buildings.

One forbidden photo taken inside the church

The inside of the church is extremely ornate with lots of gold plating, an incredible altar, beautiful inlaid wood pieces, and in the choir loft is a huge organ with 2,000 pipes! We follow our young guide to another building that is a small museum. What I remember the most is the numerous framed oil paintings on the walls of the museum, some of which seem a bit risqué for a monastery:).

We then walk from the museum to the library where even I see the sign which warns you not to touch the books as this action will set off an alarm. We walk through one aisle in the library where we are surrounded by old books sitting on shelves that reach far above our heads. There are 70,000 books in the Monastic Library, and 1200 manuscripts (we didn’t see any of these). Everyone treads softly not wanting to inadvertently trip the alarm as the vision of being rushed by brown-robed monks is not a pretty picture :). We end up in an airy room surrounded by more books that someone is in the process of cleaning up and also reorganizing the old books on the shelves. It really is a miracle that the books survived under the Nazi’s and communists. When we have finished the tour, Milan once again reaches inside his magic satchel and produces a bottle of mead to cap off our visit here. I think mead is often brewed by monks. I really like this drink!

Milan pouring mead for everyone

We leave the monastery; climb back into the bus and Waessik drives us to our next stop for the morning. We are off to Lipno Lake, which was made by damming the Vltava River, for a hike. When we arrive at the resort, Milan gives us the choice of riding the bus to the top of the mountain or taking the ski lift. We all opt for the ski lift. I have only been on a ski lift once and I find that sitting down on a seat that is moving is a bit tricky. I voice my concerns about the difficulty once we are safely seated and moving along the cable. Jennifer points out that I should try getting into the seat with skis on. Yow, that would be a trick to master! We enjoy the fresh air, the pine forest below us, and pretty views on our way up the small mountain. Getting off the ski lift and out-of-the-way of the slow-moving seat is really hard but I manage to stay on my feet and run away from the slow-moving seat.

Some of our party heading up the mountain on the ski lift

Our hike today is called the Treetop Walk and once Milan buys our tickets we are ready to go. We actually will be hiking on a wooden walkway that leads to the base of a 130 foot tower. The air is chilly and it is starting to look as though it could rain so Jennifer and I take off at a fast walk. The walkway gradually gains in height so by the time we reach the base of the circular tower the wind is quite brisk. The wind becomes stronger with every circle we make while climbing higher on the tower.

Looking back on a portion of the walkway

On the last circuit before we reach the tower top, Jennifer and I stop to stare and laugh at a several pair of plastic human legs that are hanging above us. The lifelike legs are mechanically running in place and we wonder out loud what they symbolize. A man passing by, who is carrying his young son on his shoulders, stops and tells us in broken English that the legs represent the most famous Czech distance runner in the nation’s history. He informs us that this running phenom won three gold medals in the 1952 Olympics! Later, Milan gives us more info about Emil Zatopek who won gold medals in the 5,000 meter, 10,000 meter, and the marathon over a span of eight days. What an unbelievable achievement and Mr. Zatopek certainly deserves the honor of the running legs memorial. Plus you must admit that this is a very unique memorial!

Emil Zatopek memorial- one of several pairs of running legs

Holy Smokes it is windy up here plus the clouds have rolled in so even though the views are wonderful if the sun were shining I think we could see for miles and miles. We don’t linger on this windswept deck and quickly wind our way back down to the boardwalk. At the bottom of the tower there is a metal tube that you can slide down which will deposit you near the entrance gate if you don’t want to walk back the length of the walkway. Jennifer, Paul, and a few more people from our group decide to throw caution to the wind and go for the shortcut. The problem is the man that sells the tickets for the dry toboggan ride has disappeared. No way am I sliding down that claustrophobic tube so I join N and we start back down the wooden trail. When we reach the entrance gate we don’t see any of the adventure seekers and we assume that they are still waiting for the ticket guy to show up. We continue to stand near the ride but there is no one being ejected from the white tube. I hear familiar voices behind me and turn to see a disappointed group coming our way; it seems the ticket man was a no-show so they had to walk down after all.

Lipno Lake. The rain clouds are rolling in

A different view from the tower

Jennifer and I had planned to hike through the forest rather than take the bus back down to the parking lot, but about the time the thwarted tube riders arrive; big fat raindrops are starting to fall. The drops turn into a hard shower so the good news is that waiting on the ticket man saved Jennifer and I from getting soaked on the forest trail! We all pile into the bus when it arrives except for D and C who began hiking through the forest before it started to rain, poor things. It seems the hiking couple was prepared for rain as they were carrying rain coats so they weren’t soaked through after all.

Another beautiful town on the river

We drive to another picture perfect town along the Vltava River and stop at a nice restaurant to have lunch. Milan brings out two shot glasses of liquor and presents them to the heroes of the day, D and C, for hiking through the rain at Lipno Lake. The rest of us applaud the deserving couple as they laughingly accept their reward.

Enjoying the scenery after lunch

Upon our return to Cesky Krumlov, Jennifer decides to go shopping for gifts while Paul and I visit a museum that Milan had recommended which is dedicated to a local photographer named Joseph Seidel. The museum tour was self-guided and our recorded narrator explained what we were looking at in the various rooms as long as you pressed the right numbers! Once we got the hang of the electronic device we thoroughly enjoyed walking through the house of this excellent photographer. Paul and I agreed that Seidel’s work and the way he would go out of his way to get photos, (including strapping on snow skis to reach his subject if need be) reminded us of our own Wabaunsee county photographer Otto Kratzer. Both men took excellent black and white photos in the early 20th century and both photographers would go to great lengths to capture ordinary life around them. It was a great way to end our afternoon.

Joseph Seidel museum, Paul’s photo

Tonight dinner is on our own so Jennifer, Paul, and I eat at Two Mary’s restaurant where we enjoy our delicious meal sitting at a table that overlooks the Vltava River. This is our last evening in Cesky which is a little sad for me. I have so enjoyed this fairytale city and all the other sites we took in while staying here.

Walking down to our hotel on this lovely street for the last time.

Next blog-Budweiser Brewery, Trebon and Slavonice

I love this photo of the couple sitting under the apple tree Paul took even if they are a bit blurred. We were on a moving raft after all.

We passed by these hilarious chairs and I couldn’t resist. Paul’s photo

This morning we set our luggage outside our door at 7:30 and we go down for breakfast where I enjoy the yummy croissants for the last time. Paul and I return to the room to gather our personal luggage and check to make sure we have not left anything behind. Everyone is in the lobby by 8:30 and we climb into the bus. Waessik, who is Polish, greets us with a big smile and a “good morning”. Once we have all settled in our chosen seats we are ready to hit the road to explore some more of the Czech Republic. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Prague but the three of us agree that we are ready to move on.

Once we leave Prague, Waessik drives the comfortable bus down narrow, curvy roads that travel through farm country and villages. On occasion Milan will speak to us about various topics via his microphone as we are driving. I spy two deer grazing in a hay-field this morning, someone sitting behind comments on them too; we also see cattle, a few horses, crop ground, and lots of big round hay bales.

After driving an hour and a half we reach our first stop of the day, the Vojna Memorial, a camp first built to house German prisoners of war. Vojna then became a forced labor camp to mine uranium when Russia took control of Czechoslovakia from 49 to 51. The communists then used Vojna to house political prisoners until 1961. The political prisoners were mostly people who supported democracy.

The first thing we see when we get out of the bus is a sign over the entrance gate and Milan tells us that it says “work will set you free”. Milan points out the irony of the statement since it is exactly what the sign over Auschwitz concentration camp declared. Our group walks through the gate and we look down the path between two barbed wire fences where the guards would patrol. There is a sculpture on the grounds showing a man at the top of a ladder while other prisoners are burrowing into the ground. The sculpture depicts how people tried to escape the misery of the camp to gain their freedom but rarely if ever did they succeed.

Patrol path with watch tower in the distance

Notice the benches in the music room

Milan leads us through the partially reconstructed camp relating grim and cruel stories as we go. There was a cultural building with a “library”, all communist material I’m sure, and a music room where the listeners had to sit on slat benches that were backless and rounded to make sure the prisoners couldn’t use the time to sleep. We walk through a small building that is a hospital which the inmates had to man themselves. Milan explains how much sickness there was among the inmates since the prisoners had no protective wear for the uranium mines they were forced to work in, plus they had to sleep in the same clothes. This left the men in constant exposure to the uranium which was obviously detrimental to their health. Many survivors suffered from cancer and leukemia in later years.

Milan has a “captured” audience. Seriously, Milan was a walking encyclopedia and his words brought the many topics he covered to life. An amazing guide.

Paul taking it all in.

Surgery room for the prisoners

Milan leads us to the barracks where beds are crowded together in the small rooms and in tiers. There were also examples of solitary confinement cells making the crowded barracks look quite luxurious. Milan explains that the prisoners were paid a salary which allowed the communists to say that they were treating the prisoners fairly. The rest of that story is that the prisoners were also charged for their food, lodging and clothes so the prisoners ended up with a pittance of their pay. Milan told us that the prisoners were put to work early in the morning with no breakfast and their lunch and dinner would be very inadequate, (an example is watered down soup), thus adding to the deterioration of their health.

Crowded barracks

Isolation cell

In the building that housed the Camp commander there was a memorial in remembrance of all those that had suffered or died in Vojna under the Stalinist times. There was also a sign with the names of those that were executed at this depressing place. Milan has one more stop for us and that is the underground cell where prisoners were put for the ultimate punishment. After sticking our heads inside the cell, most of us take a deep breath and step into the concrete pit. The tall people in our group can’t stand up straight in here and at 5’6″ the top of my head is close to touching the ceiling. There are not any windows, or any place to go to the bathroom, places to sit or lay down. Once that door was shut there would be nothing but darkness. How in the world could any human stand these conditions for long? It is time to move on down the road and although it is sobering and tough to visit places like Vojna it surely is important to do so to honor the victims of these atrocities.

Names of the political prisoners that were executed in Vojna

The entrance into the underground cell

After we have been driving for a while, Waessik pulls the bus off the road into a gas station area and brings it to a halt. Milan, with a quizzical smile, faces us and points to a small patch of green weeds across the road identifying the “weeds” as a marijuana field. Milan says he had our driver stop here because he has never seen this big of a field of marijuana. Milan informs us that the Czech Republic has recently decriminalized the drug and Milan says that they will have to wait and see what happens. Paul and I are more intrigued with the person that is stacking round bales of straw in the adjacent wheat field going up seven layers high! I also enjoy the colorful kites that are on display outside the gas station and think to myself that people can fly a kite while getting high as a kite:). Go ahead and groan that was bad.

Marijuana field and men loading big round bales. Unfortunately the photo of the 7 layer stack was blurry.

Colorful kites for sale

Our next stop today is Pisek, a town founded in the 13th century. Milan first takes us to the Parish Church but we won’t be going inside as there is a wedding taking place. Milan says that it is o.k. to peek in the open door if we are very quiet. The church is full of wedding goers but what is really intriguing to me is that there is a seat for the bride and groom to sit on. This must be some long ceremony! We all quietly laugh at the basket outside the door that contains a horse collar, a ball and chain, and a bolt cutter. It would be fun to see what the wedding couple does with these items.

Parish church in Pisek. I believe it is one of if not the oldest church in the country

I took a photo of the wedding in progress

This oddly colored cat was looking down at us from a window ledge

We walk down cobblestone streets laid in artful patterns as we pass by brightly painted houses whose window planters are filled with colorful flowers. Most of the businesses are closed and few people are on the streets, maybe they are all at the wedding! Milan fills us in on the history of the town as we walk towards the restaurant where we are to eat lunch. Milan points out the sand sculptures across the Otava River which we will visit after lunch. On the way to the restaurant we pass by stands where people are selling food, candy, and beer. It seems there is a beer festival going on today perhaps another reason the old part of town was so quiet!

Listening intently to Milan in front of the Parish church.

Colorful houses, beautiful flowers and marijuana for sale

I tried to show the artful pattern of the cobblestone street Jennifer is walking down. It is easier to see in real life! It made me a bit dizzy truthfully.

As usual there are tables reserved for us in the restaurant which is quite crowded with customers. On the menu today is wild boar, hey this is why we travel, to experience new things in new places. The wild boar meat which is swimming in a tasty brown sauce isn’t too bad for someone like me who doesn’t care for wild game. I feel a little bad though as there is a wild boar head hanging on the wall right next to our table. When we have finished our meal, we go outside to a tent where beer on tap is being sold. Milan gathers us around him looking very pleased with himself as he tells us about the bartender in the restaurant where we ate. It seems this man is a master bartender who has won many medals in beer drawing competitions in the Czech Republic. He is so famous that bartenders from Prague and elsewhere come to learn from the man. Milan has spoken to the fellow who has agreed to demonstrate for our group the art of drawing a perfect beer. The bartender is supposed to put on the demo at this tent but the man is so busy that we have to return to the restaurant and crowd around the bar to watch the Master at work.

Paul and D eating the wild boar. Those are dumplings on the side

We clog the area around the bar while the first thing the bartender explains via Milan is that the glasses must be washed and rinsed properly through three different tubs of water. The next thing he tells us is that you never draw beer into a dry glass, the glass must be wet. After that I am lost as he demonstrates different ways to draw beer to make a completely different tasting beer from the same tap. I didn’t get around to sampling what I think was called milk beer but those that did said it definitely was smoother than a normal beer. Anyway it was another one of those unexpected events that Milan often added throughout this tour to make our time here even more special. We thank the busy bartender and leave him and his real customers in peace.

The master bartender instructing the group on drawing the perfect beer

Our group strolls back through the various food and beer stands and Milan stops at one place where dough is being wrapped around a rotating cylinder and then cooked over charcoal. Milan buys one of the wonderful smelling treats called Trdelnik (nope can’t pronounce it) and hands out a sample to all of us. Oh yum, that is so tasty, trdelnik is so good in fact that Paul goes back to buy another one which he shares with Jennifer and me and whoever wants a bite. We stop in front of another vendor’s tent where Milan explains some of the different candies that are for sale there. One of the sisters buys a fudge type candy and she is kind enough to have the proprietor cut it in enough pieces so all of us can sample the sweet treat. Mmm, that is really good too.

Making the delicious Trdelnik.

All kinds of candy for sale at this stand.

The bridge spanning the Otava River

Milan takes us across the bridge to the sand sculptures which are standing near the river’s edge. The sculptures depict characters from Czech fairy tales and include a really cool, fire-breathing dragon, humans, and a donkey that looks a lot like the one in Winnie the Pooh. I love these sand sculptures! There is a cute little girl who walks up to the dragon and poses by it while her mom takes her photo (as do I). Then she turns around and appears to slightly curtsy to the beast now and then, it takes me a moment to realize she has seen her shadow and is moving slightly to make her shadow move. How cute is that!

Sand Sculptures, they were huge.

Can you do this shadow?

Terrible light but hilarious Minion cookies

Milan now takes us towards the small carnival where we pass by a booth that is selling cookies in various shapes such as hearts and minions! The minion cookies are hilarious and for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about they are characters from one of my favorite animated films, Despicable Me. What a hoot. Again one member of our group generously shares some of the licorice type candy she bought with all of us. The rides here are mostly for children but we see a father and son having fun in the bumper car ring which makes Milan reminisce how the bumper cars were his favorite thing at carnivals when he was a kid. I preferred the merry-go-round as a youngster myself:). We reach the bus where our driver cheerily greets us and soon we are on our way to our final destination today, Cesky Krumlov.

Bumper cars that brought back good memories for Milan.

We reach Cesky Krumlov by late afternoon and because the streets that lead to our hotel are so narrow, Waessik has to let us off at the bus stop where we walk to our hotel, carrying our personal luggage with us. The large suitcases will be delivered via a van to the hotel. As we near the old town the view is just breathtaking. I feel like we have been put down in the middle of a fairy tale as I gaze over the red-tiled roof tops and see the stunning castle on the hill overlooking the town. Wow just wow! We reach the main square and there is our hotel, The Old Inn Hotel, right on the square. It gets even better when Paul and I discover that our very comfortable, third-floor room looks out on the beautiful square. This is wonderful. Before dinner we Kansans wander around this lovely village discovering picturesque views around every corner.

One of our first views of Cesky Krumlov. I loved it at first sight!

Looking out our hotel room window at the town square.

We oohed and ahhed over this scene as we crossed the bridge.

After a tasty dinner, Paul, Jennifer and I decide to walk up to the castle since according to Milan the view of Cesky at night is not to be missed. The three of us bump into the California sisters and the couple from Michigan and together we search for a way to the top of the castle complex. Our impromptu group notice people coming down some unlit stairs and we figure what the heck. Sure enough the stairs lead to the complex walkway and we are rewarded with a dazzling view of Cesky after dark. We join others in snapping pictures of the twinkling town below us. All of us then stroll down this walk way which takes us through some open air parts of the dimly lit castle. We emerge at the opposite end of the complex where the part of the castle with the distinct pink turret stands. It was beautiful by daylight and it is stunning at night! It is a wonderful way to end our day.

Crossing the same bridge at night as we did this afternoon. Beautiful

Our climb to the top was rewarded with this view of the Castle complex bathed in light

The distinct turret seen from below after we exited the castle.

What a day we have had from the sobering Vojna Memorial to the festive town of Pisek and last but not least to the “Fairy Tale” city of Cesky Krumlov.

Next blog, Exploring Cesky Krumlov

Paul and Jennifer looking at the sand sculptures from the bridge.

Our hotel

I got a kick out of this photo as I thought the windows in the walkway walls looked like frogs eyes.

We are to meet our friend Birgit at 2:30 at the entrance of the Old Jewish Cemetery. Milan was kind enough to help us select the cemetery as a meeting place prior to our journey to Europe. The restaurant where we ate lunch is just a block from the Old Jewish Cemetery so this is perfect.

Jennifer, Paul and I arrive on time but upon looking about we don’t see Birgit. We are debating on whether we should walk down to the actual entrance, which is across the street but below street level, when I hear Paul exclaim “here she is”! I turn around and see a smiling Birgit standing by Paul. After giving Birgit a hug, I introduce her to Jennifer and then ask Birgit if I am finally pronouncing her name right. Birgit, in her matter of fact way, tells me that I still am not saying her name correctly but assures me that she has become used to my mispronunciation of her name and that it’s okay! Ha, this is one of the things I like about my friend Birgit; she tells it like it is!

This photo of Birgit and me was actually taken the next day but it is the only one we took!!

Paul, Birgit and I met when we were all part of a group in 2010 that traveled to Russia and joined Biosphere Expeditions, an organization studying the habitat for snow leopards in the Altai Mountains. Birgit and I discovered that we had a mutual love of cats, nature and that we simply enjoyed each other’s company. Since our meeting in Russia six years ago we have continued to stay in touch via email. When I told Birgit we were coming to Europe she made time in her busy schedule to travel from Austria so we could spend some time together. As I step back and take note of my petite friend I see she hasn’t changed at all and she sure hasn’t gained an ounce!

The four of us are going to Vysehrad the site of Prague’s first castle although the castle no longer exists. I had researched the web for places that most tourists don’t visit while in Prague and Vysehrad was always near the top of the list of recommended sites to see. We know that we will have to take the metro to Vysehrad but we don’t know where the nearest metro station is. As luck would have it, Milan and the rest of our group appear on the corner not far from where we are making our plans. I walk over and ask Milan where the closest station is and he says that we need to walk back to the restaurant and continue on for a couple blocks. I might add that this afternoon is scheduled as free time for our group but Milan has unselfishly volunteered to take anyone who wishes to go with him for further exploration of Prague. I believe the rest of our group took Milan up on his offer.

We wander around a bit but eventually find the metro station. Birgit, (because she speaks a little bit of Czech) approaches the woman in the ticket booth to buy our tickets. Birgit requests senior tickets for we Kansans but the ticket seller informs her that only Czechs are eligible for the discounted tickets. Oh well, the tickets don’t cost much anyway. Tickets in hand we walk over to get on the escalator and see two or three freestanding “posts”, each equipped with a shining green light, situated a few feet from the entrance to the escalator. People are just walking past these curious structures as they step on the escalator. Green means go right? We join the other metro riders and get on the escalator that takes us deep under the ground.

I thought these “lions” flanking each side of the top of the gate were very odd looking

We find the metro red line that will deliver us to Vysehrad station and soon the underground train arrives. We pile into the nearest car and within minutes we have arrived at our destination. I am completely disoriented once we are above ground but my cohorts, using a map and common sense, decide we must go “this way” and sure enough we soon find a sign for Vysehrad prominently displayed. From here on all we do is follow the frequent green signs pointing toward Vysehrad and after a nice stroll we arrive at the ancient castle grounds.

Entrance gate into Vysehrad

We walk under the arch of the massive stone gate and are immediately struck by the sparse number of other humans. A few people can be seen scattered around but most are natives enjoying the peace and quiet of this attractive green space. How nice to be in this solitude after the crush of tourists and bustling activity of the city this morning.

St. Martin Rotunda

One of the reasons I wanted to come here was to see the St. Martin Rotunda which we spot a short distance from the arched gate. This unique stone structure is touted as one of Prague’s oldest surviving buildings. There is a sign on the door giving the times that mass is held in this 11th century chapel but I can’t see how in the world many people could fit inside the fascinating rotunda. If I recall correctly this rotunda is only one of three original rotunda that have managed to survive wars, “progress”, or just the decay of time.

Another reason I wanted to come to Vysehrad is to see the cemetery which is located next to the Church of St. Peter and Paul. I read about the uniqueness of the cemetery at home where one writer described it as an open air art exhibit, where prominent Czech composers, artists, writers, scientists, etc. are buried. I found that description quite intriguing and thought the cemetery would be worth visiting.

Jennifer walking towards the Church of St. Peter and Paul

Again we follow the signage directing us to the Church, although it isn’t long before we can just walk towards the obvious spires of the church. After using the restrooms, (where I ended up tipping the attendant the equivalent of two dollars because I didn’t pay attention to what the coin was worth), we walk back to the cemetery. Birgit and I wander through the interesting monuments while Jennifer and Paul sit down on a bench, one to rest a sore back, the other to rest a cranky knee.

Not the sharpest photo of the Fallen Eagle

Birgit and I visit as we wander the cemetery pathways often stopping to photograph or comment on the unique monuments of various graves. Naturally, I have no idea who the people or what their occupation was that lay beneath these interesting gravestones. Knowing that information probably would have helped understand the monuments that marked the graves. One of my favorites is a stone sculpture of a fallen Eagle lying on its back with an obvious broken wing, claws clenched and bill open in death. Some markers, like the one where three hands appear to be trying to turn a wheel, leave me completely bewildered.

I found this marker very intriguing

A very modern grave stone

When Birgit and I have toured most of the cemetery we rejoin Paul and Jennifer who have seen much of the cemetery too and we walk over to an adjacent park. We casually stroll through the park where stately trees tower over us while unseeing statues appear to be staring at us. There is a high point on the edge of the park protected by an iron rail fence and we climb the stairs to see what is up there. Ooh, what a beautiful view of the Vltava River. There are two people standing on what look like surf boards paddling down the placid river. There is a formidable wall below us that I assume was part of the ancient castle fortress walls.

My photos from this vantage point were all blurry. This one of the old wall was the only one I could salvage

We leave the pretty park and walk back toward the entrance gate but notice people walking up a hill near the Rotunda. The four of us decide to find out why people are climbing the hill. Wow, this was worth the climb as we have a wonderful overview of Prague and the river. We can even see Prague Castle far away in the distance. Looking down on people strolling along the Vltava River, I suggest we find our way down to the river’s edge and perhaps even walk back to our hotel following the river for much of the way. I think we three women are more enthused about this idea than Paul is!

What a view of Prague and the Vltava River

As we try to find a different way out of Vysehrad that will deposit us next to the river, we watch in awe as Birgit runs down a steep hill to see if the arch gate in the fortress wall below us might be an exit. Birgit also runs back up the hill and informs us that the gate is locked. Holy Smokes, now I know why Birgit does so well in the orienteering races she participates in. I am feeling very old and out of shape after witnessing that!

We do find our way to the river and stroll along the water’s edge on the uneven cobblestone walkway. There are lots of people here, mostly locals with a majority of them appearing to be college age kids. It isn’t hard to figure out why this is a favorite place for young people as there are open air bars every few feet it seems. Some of the restaurants and bars are situated on old ships docked all along the river’s edge. There are also joggers, bicyclists, and people feeding the numerous ducks and swans that ply the river’s edge. The atmosphere is very laid back in this area.

No beach, no problem. We will put one on a ship.

The four of us meander along the calming river, taking time to sit down to allow Paul to rest his knee from time to time. At one point Paul has about had enough walking but Jennifer consults her handy-dandy gps on her phone and we find that we are only a half mile from our hotel. We decide to stop at the first suitable cafe once we are back in the city center to give us all a longer break from walking as my legs and hips are pretty sore too. Jennifer who carries a fitbit informs us that we walked around nine miles today!

Birgit, Paul and Jennifer along the Vltava River

Once we leave the river it doesn’t take long to find a cafe with outdoor seating. I don’t recall what we ordered for dinner but we did enjoy people watching while eating our meal. One thing we notice is that many of the local people have leg tattoos, lots and lots of people smoke, and we marvel at how many women manage to walk on the rough cobblestone in high heels! When we have finished eating our waiter is walking by and I call out “check please”. I know what I’ve said immediately and Paul bursts out laughing. Paul says he had this vision of the waiter returning with all of the staff in tow. We all laugh over the double meaning in this instance and the use of the word check becomes a running joke throughout our time in the Czech Republic. Oh well, maybe you had to be there.

Feeling refreshed, we continue towards the hotel. We pass by a storefront with a lit sign hanging over the door that says beer spa. There are advertising posters in the window and one pictures a handsome man soaking in a barrel of beer while holding a stein of beer in his hands. On other posters scantily clad women are shown serving beer to the beer spa customers. Which poster do you think I photographed? Someone, (Paul?) wonders if you just fill your empty beer glass from the vat you are soaking in:).

When we reach our hotel, Paul and Jennifer decide to go to their rooms. I walk with Birgit to the train station where she takes me inside to show me how huge it is. After “checking” out the modern train station we return to the street where we say goodnight. Birgit is staying at a hostel that is on past the train station in the opposite direction of our hotel. It is getting dark and I am a bit nervous about walking alone as there is a small park across from the train station where several inebriated people are sitting and standing around. There is a young man pulling his suitcase along the street and I do my best to stay close to him. I am definitely out of my comfort zone in this situation.

We are up at six, eating breakfast at seven, and sitting in class at eight! Yes, you read that right; we are having a lecture from a history professor this morning. The woman whose name I can’t recall talks to us for an hour and disseminates information over a long time span of Czech history. Unfortunately she has a soft voice and I have to strain to hear her part of the time and I am sitting right next to her. The professor also talks very fast and I’m afraid I and others had trouble keeping focused the full hour.

Milan gives us a ten minute break after class and then we meet in the lobby where Milan will take us via metro to the Charles Bridge. Paul, who for some reason after the fact read the directions on our metro tickets we bought yesterday, hands Milan his metro ticket that we never validated. Milan looks shocked and tells us we are so lucky not to have been stopped by a metro controller as we would have had to pay a fine. We then hear the horror story of another couple in this group who visited Vienna prior to coming to Prague. They had validated their tickets at one point but not at the next point if I remember right. The two were checked by the controllers and were ordered to pay a fine, on the spot, of 103 Euros each. They didn’t have that much money on them so the metro “cops” reduced the fine to 103 Euros for both of them. Are you kidding me! Wow, we really were fortunate that we weren’t caught with non-validated tickets.

At the top of Wenceslas Square

Milan takes us to the upper end of Wenceslas square first where we look out over the statue of St. Wenceslas and the square. There is a cross laid out amidst the cobblestones where we are standing and Milan tells us the story of this icon. In 1969 a 21-year-old college student, whose name is Jan Palach, set fire to himself on this very spot to protest Soviet occupation. By committing this extreme act the young man hoped to inspire the Czech people to not give up hope of becoming a free country. As hard as the Soviets tried over the years to stamp out the memory of this young man,(who died three days after setting himself on fire), the Soviets failed to do so. Twenty years later the Velvet Revolution took place and Czechoslovakia was a free country.

Cross that marks the spot where Jan Palach set himself on fire.

A modern sculpture dedicated to Jan Palach we saw near the river.

Milan then takes us to the metro station where he shows us how to validate one of the tickets that he handed out to us in the lobby:). The escalator seems to be very fast and it is a little scary getting on and off of it. We pack into a car on the yellow line and after a couple of stops we get off and go deeper underground to catch the red line (I think) that will take us to a station close to Charles Bridge. Milan tells us to hang onto our validated tickets until we are above ground as the ticket checkers can be anywhere!

At the base of Charles Bridge, Milan goes to buy tickets for our river boat ride that we are taking this morning. Birgit isn’t here yet so I give Milan some Czech crowns so he can buy her ticket when he purchases the groups tickets, I don’t want Birgit to miss the boat! Birgit arrives shortly after this and explains that she stopped to watch the pageantry of the Astronomical Clock on her way here.

Boat similar to the one we were on

Our group climbs aboard the small, enclosed boat along with a family that includes three young children. Refreshments are passed out before we cast off and our captain welcomes us aboard. Between taped recordings, (first in English for us then repeated in German for the family), with some input by our Captain, the history of Charles Bridge and of the buildings we float by is narrated to us. Our Captain also has photos of some major events, including the blowing up of the enormous Stalin shrine that sat high on a hill above the river, once the Soviets were expelled. He also shows photos of the devastating flood of 2002 that affected much of Central Europe. I found the boat tour a pleasant experience plus we received a different perspective of the bridge as we sailed under it and of the city of Prague as we look up at it from the river.

Going under the Charles Bridge

Part of Prague as seen from the river boat

Once we dock, Milan and three members of our group leave for Nizbor to take the optional tour of the Ruckl Crystal Factory, (optional means it will cost you 120 bucks to partake in the tour). The rest of us strike out on our own to visit more of Prague. Our quartet walks across Charles Bridge to Lesser Town as we want to explore this area a bit more. We take some photos of each other on the bridge and then search for a place to have lunch. We get off the main street in hopes of finding some cheaper eating places but don’t have much luck. We end up back in the busy part of town and sit down at an outside table in front of a small café.

Jennifer, Nancy and Paul. Birgit is the photographer

A shot of Lesser Town taken from the Charles Bridge

There are menus on the table but they don’t include prices so Paul asks to see a priced menu. Well, it is a little high but not bad for being in the midst of a tourist area. Hmm, what did we eat? I don’t remember but I do recall Paul looking at the bill and seeing an eight dollar charge that he can’t figure out. When he asks the waiter what the charge is for the young man informs Paul that it is a cover charge. Oh get out; no wonder this place isn’t very busy. We made a mistake of not writing down or taking a photo of the name of this cafe because Paul surely would have written a review on Trip Advisor warning other Prague visitors to steer clear of the cafe. Live and learn I guess.

Moorhen and one chick

After lunch we are looking for Wallenstein Gardens, another place the website author recommended to visit for a quiet refuge. We find the small side door cut into the imposing white washed wall and walk in. Once inside the walled garden the noise level decreases substantially. There is a maze of manicured, hedge-lined paths, so we choose one path that leads us to a palatial building which is the home of the Czech Senate. Another path takes us alongside an enormous fish pond where colorful fish are swimming and an impressive fountain sets in the middle of the pond. A moorhen and her two chicks are hiding among the tall reeds that grow in clumps here and there.

Absolutely gorgeous.

There is also a refuge for owls on the grounds that I want to see but when we ask a young woman in the museum where the owls are located she has no idea what we are talking about. Our foursome leaves the museum building and walk along the perimeter of the spacious grounds in hopes of stumbling upon the owl refuge. We come upon a bizarre manmade wall that looks like dried mud stalactites. There are faces and creatures hidden in this strange wall and we have fun searching for and finding several of them. At the end of the stalactite wall is an enormous wire cage with a half-dozen owls perched high in their enclosure. They remind me of our barred owls at home but are much larger. After admiring another part of the gardens filled with statues depicting Greek mythological scenes we leave this beautiful place.

What a weird but interesting wall. Can you find the faces?

We use an exit on the opposite side of where we came in and see an intriguing street that we decide to explore. The street climbs steadily up and we find ourselves in the midst of buildings for foreign ambassadors and government workers. This is a very upscale neighborhood and even the massive doors are impressive and imposing.

Fancy wooden door

Beautiful arch over this quiet street

It is time for Birgit to return to the train station to catch the train that will take her back to Austria. We walk to the metro station that is next to Wallenstein Gardens and say our goodbyes to our Austrian friend. Birgit invites us to come to Austria sometime where she would like to show us some of Austria’s’ National Parks. We tell her perhaps we will come and that she should visit Kansas someday too! So much to do and so little time. Being able to spend time with our friend gave special meaning to our trip to Central Europe. Thanks for putting out the effort to come see us Birgit.

Not far from where we were eating was this pig roasting on an enclosed spit.

Jennifer, Paul and I debate what we should do now and for a time we just sit and rest outside the metro station. We talk about going to the beer museum which a colleague of Jennifer’s suggested was worth the visit but it is in the opposite direction of our hotel, and by now it is late afternoon. Instead, after punching our tickets, we take the metro back to New Town, take a seat outside at a cafe, order a beer (Bernard beer which we all agree is better than Pilsner), and watch the parade of people go by which includes a group of Hari Krishna’s playing homemade instruments.

Hari Krishnas parading past our table

On our way back to the hotel we find a restaurant close by our hotel so Jennifer checks the reviews about it using her phone and finds that it has very good reviews. When we get to the hotel Jennifer wonders if we should make reservations for the restaurant. Since non-smoking areas are limited we decide this is probably a good idea. Jennifer has taken a photo of the restaurant’s name and shows it to the woman at the front desk who is happy to call and reserve a table for us.

The restaurant is very nice and our waiter is delightful. Jennifer orders the deer steak which is one of their specialties, Paul orders smazak (fried cheese) which is a Czech favorite, and I opt for a vegetable/mushroom dish. The food is quite tasty and we all share some of our meal with one another.

After eating we decide to walk over to Wenceslas square and Jennifer takes the lead. Jennifer turns on a random street to cross over to the square and we find ourselves walking down an “adult” themed street. The explicit names and steamy photos on the various buildings don’t leave any doubt what is being advertised!

Ugh, we reach the square and there are just too many people here for us. We walk back to the hotel and decide to have a cup of tea on the restaurants small terrace. We about choke when we pay the bill as we each just consumed a cup of four-dollar tea! A small beer costs a bit more than a dollar! Beer please :).

Next installment-Leaving Prague and traveling to Cesky Krumlov

Looking at the Charles Bridge

A poor photo of the three hands grasping the circle or wheel. Anybody know what this means?

The day has arrived for Paul, me and our good friend Jennifer to drive to Kansas City and board the first of three planes that will deliver us to Prague, Czech Republic. Can it really have been a year since the three of us chose to book the OAT tour called Jewels of Bohemia?

Our trip is off on a good note since all of us received pre-check tickets when we printed them at home yesterday. This means we don’t have to practically disrobe nor remove our liquids from our bags. Boy does that speed things up. Our flights to Minneapolis, then to Amsterdam, and finally Prague are on time and smooth, actually we arrive early in Prague. The early arrival proves to be the first hiccup in our journey, (other than the fact that none of us slept on the planes much), because there is no placard with our names emblazoned on it in the maze of drivers waiting to deliver plane passengers to their hotels.

The three of us continue to scrutinize drivers as they walk into the arrivals area but none of them are holding up a Miller/Gehrt sign. Jennifer spots a young woman who is holding up a Grand Circle placard which is affiliated with OAT travel. We approach her and tell her we are traveling with OAT but there is no one to meet us yet. The friendly woman whose name is Adella (sp?) promises to call on our behalf if no one shows up in the next few minutes. Adella knows that Milan is our guide for this Central Europe tour and adds that she will be the local guide for our Prague tour tomorrow. Terrific, sometimes things just work out.

When no one has come to claim us after ten minutes, Adella calls Milan, who calls the driver and then Milan calls Adella to say our transport man will be with us shortly. The miracle of cell phones! Within ten minutes a stocky, tattooed man rushes over to us and breathlessly apologizes in broken English for the fact that we had to wait for him. We assure the fellow that it is no big deal and we follow him out to his van. Our luggage is loaded into the van, (which I am proud to say consists of only carry on luggage for all of us), and we continue on the final leg of our journey to Hotel Esplanade.

As we wind our way through a long and circuitous path to our Hotel, I must say my initial impression of Prague is not too favorable. Everywhere I look there is graffiti scrawled on doors, retaining walls, building walls and any other flat surface that the vandals can find to mark their territory. Ugh.

Not the best photo of the exterior of Hotel Esplanade but it is the only one I took.

We arrive at Hotel Esplanade which is rather impressive at least from the outside. We check in and once we have settled into our very nice rooms, we Kansans ask the polite receptionist if there is an authentic Czech restaurant nearby. The woman tells us to turn right as we walk out the door, walk to the corner and turn right again. She informs us that there are two restaurants within a couple of blocks. Great, let’s go!

We walk into the first restaurant we come too and note that there are only locals eating here. This is exactly what we were looking for. The small cafe has long tables which seat 6 or 8 people and most of them are full. There is a table where one man is dining alone. We get his attention and indicate we would like to sit at the table too. He nods his head at us and goes back to eating his lunch. Since the menu is in Czech I just point to what the man at our table is eating as it appears to be stroganoff and looks delicious. Jennifer opts for this dish too. Paul points to what he thinks means goulash on the menu and says goulash and the waiter confirms that he is correct. We also order our first beer of many on this trip.

The food turns out to be delicious and cheap; if I remember right our meals were about four bucks apiece including the beer. The goulash Paul is served is nothing like the macaroni, onion, hamburger, tomato sauce mixture that I used to make. This genuine goulash consists of chunks of tender beef smothered in a tasty brown sauce accompanied by four slices of dense dumplings. I realize half-way through the meal that this cafe called Ferdinanda was a recommended restaurant on a website I found while searching for Prague restaurants frequented by locals. Talk about getting lucky.

After finishing our tasty lunch we wander around a bit and end up on a bustling boulevard that is lined with restaurants and shops. There are throngs of people here, both tourists and locals, quite a contrast to the street where we ate lunch. A huge statue of a man on a horse looks out over the area from the upper part of the wide street. We look around a bit but our long and sleepless flight is catching up with us. We meander back to the hotel, stopping at a small shop near our hotel to buy bottled water. Paul and I take a nap once we are back in our comfortable room.

The group is meeting in the lobby at six p.m. and Paul and I arrive a few minutes early. Everyone else is already there except one other member. Wow, we aren’t used to being the last ones to show up. Once we all are assembled our very tall guide, Milan, introduces himself to those of us who weren’t on the pre-trip to Berlin. Milan then asks us to go around and give our names and say where we are from. When Jennifer, Paul and I have finished giving our spiel, one woman pipes up and asks if Jennifer is our daughter! Well, one member of this Kansas trio is feeling quite good after that question:).

Jennifer looking quite happy to be in Prague

Milan leads us out into the Prague night; it is already getting dark at six p.m., and talks about a few things along the way. He points out the Opera house that is very near the hotel and the Natural Museum which is undergoing renovation. We find out the busy area we were on this afternoon is called Wenceslas square and that the man on the horse is the patron saint of Prague, St. Wenceslas. This part of Prague is called New Town, never mind that it was laid out in the 14th century by whoever was King then, as a horse market!

Milan leads us away from the noisy, lit up square and takes us to a restaurant several blocks away. This is our welcome supper meant to give us a chance to visit and get to know members of our group. Oh yes, there are 14 people in this group, of those 14 there are only 3 men! Everyone but we three and one other woman, have traveled with OAT multiple times, anywhere from three to seven trips with OAT if memory serves me right. That is a good testament to OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel). I don’t recall what we had to eat that night but remember that the food was very good. Unfortunately the place was so noisy that it was next to impossible to visit with those sitting around you. Oh well we have two weeks to get to know each other. We return to the hotel around nine; well actually I think the three energetic sisters from California go off to explore Wenceslas Square. We Kansans are out of energy and ready to hit the sack so return to the hotel.

There is no rush to get up this morning as our tour doesn’t start until nine o’clock. We enjoy the breakfast buffet which has a wide variety of food from cereal, fruits, breads, eggs, cheese, bacon, and so on. I discover that the croissants are superb as is the yogurt which almost tastes homemade. If the meals so far are an indication of what is to come the old waist line will be expanding if we are not careful.

Adella our local guide and our helper at the airport

Ach, we are one of the last to appear in the lobby even though it is not quite nine o’clock. It looks like we will have to up our game to keep up with this group. Our bus and driver are waiting for us as we exit our hotel. Adella is also here and we all load on the bus where Waessik, (I think it is pronounced Veesik, hope so as that is what I called him), drives us to Prague Castle. You can’t miss Prague Castle as it dominates the landscape above the Vltava River. Before we disembark Adella warns us to keep our valuables close as there are pickpockets around. Actually, Milan has recommended that we leave most of our valuables in our room safes including our passports! Leaving my passport behind was very hard to do but he convinced us that just carrying a copy of our passports in Europe is fine.

We approach the castle from a side entrance and since we are a bit early, Adella takes the opportunity to give us some information about the castle. I will admit right now that I don’t remember much of it:). I do know Prague Castle is a Unesco World Heritage site and that this high point was chosen for building a castle back in the 9th or 10th century. The president of Czech Republic lives here today and building have been added through the century’s which has made Prague Castle the world’s largest castle complex that is still in use. Our group dutifully follows Adella in to the castle grounds. Our group enters a courtyard where we are overshadowed by a towering cathedral called St. Vitus. I do recall that it took centuries to finish this impressive building. The cathedral was started in the 14th century and finished in the 20th century (o.k. I had to look those dates up).

Inside St. Vitus Cathedral

I loved the design created by the sun shining through the stained glass window

Another beautiful stained glass window

There is a large group of monks, some staring in awe at the cathedral, which helps me imagine that we are back a few centuries ourselves. We are not taking a tour of St. Vitus but we are allowed to enter the nave and we gawk at vaulted ceilings and gorgeous stained glass windows. Of course there are lots of other lookers so getting jostled is to be expected while taking a photo without being photo bombed proves to be tough.

The monks in front of St. Vitus Cathedral. Paul’s photo

A small portion of the face of St. Vitus Cathedral

Upon leaving the interior of St. Vitus we scrutinize the exterior more carefully. The rain spouts are gargoyles and I find them very grotesque as they look like they are throwing up. The Cathedral spires are so tall I find I can’t get the whole face of the building in a photo. Adella leads us around to the side where we can kind of see the various building stages of the cathedral. There is also a cool statue of St. George fighting a dragon, along with other beautiful buildings.

Yikes, that fellow is scary

St. Peter slaying the dragon

Looking at St. Vitus from the side

Adella leads us out of this courtyard and into another area that has the appearance of a small town. There are two enormous sculptures depicting men in mortal combat flanking the gate we walk through. Across the way two real men catch my attention because they are suspended by cables from the roof top of a grandiose building. The two fellows are busy painting and even though they have a small seat to sit on it looks like an extremely uncomfortable position to have to work from.

One of many statues around the Castle site.

Men at work. Glad it’s not me.

A close up look at the tethers and seats that hold the men!

We walk across the street from the Castle to a restaurant, settle into the outside seating which are shaded by umbrellas and enjoy warm apple strudel. The view from our seats is stunning as we look over red-tiled roofs of the houses below. Milan points out a small white building in the distance and informs us that it sits on the grounds of the American embassy.

Restaurant across the street from Prague Castle. Paul’s photo

Jennifer and apple strudel. Paul’s photo

When we have finished our strudel, Adella tells us that it is time for the changing of the guards in front of the Castle gates and we walk back across the street where we will be close to the action. Our group along with many others watches as the blue clad guards trade places with those that have been standing for an hour in their small striped shelters without moving. How do the men do that? Can you imagine the discipline it would take to not scratch your nose if it itches?? Once the men have swapped places and the guards that were relieved have disappeared, one of the fresh guards turns his back on us to attend to something we can’t see. Adella is astonished and tells us that this is not acceptable and she has never witnessed this behavior before. I would love to know what the heck the young man was doing.

Fresh guards being escorted to the watch stations.

Guard being relieved from watch duty waiting until the new man is reading to assume the post. Didn’t take a photo of when he turned his back on everyone.

Narrow cobblestone street in Lesser Town

Painting over a house door

It is time to move on and as we leave the Castle grounds we are astonished at the long line of tourists waiting to enter the inner courtyard. Wow does it pay to come early at these popular places. Adella and Milan take us to Lesser town from Prague Castle and we walk old, narrow cobblestone streets where the houses have wonderful paintings above the doorways. There are more beautiful buildings to be admired as we shoulder our way through other tourist groups. We reach Charles Bridge and are pleasantly surprised that it isn’t packed with tourists. There are musicians playing for tips and artists displaying their wares on the historical, statue-studded bridge. The most famous statue, St. John, has two places where the bronze gleams from tourists who rub the statue for good luck. Our group is no exception and I think most of us join in the tradition of touching the statue in hopes of good luck.

Arch leading to the foot of Charles Bridge

On Charles Bridge looking back at Lesser Town

One group of musicians among many playing on the bridge

St. John and two bright spots where tourists rub the statue for luck

Once across the Charles Bridge we enter Old Town, (I know, it’s very confusing), and Adella tells us about more of the historical buildings along our path. Adella then takes us to the Astronomical Clock which is 600 years old (I think) and we stand around waiting for the clock to strike on the hour. Once the hour chimes the apostles appear one at a time in the open door and on the outside a skeleton nods and turns an hourglass over. At the very end the golden rooster gives a rather weak cock-a-doodle-doo. I can’t say this was a spectacular show but when you consider how old the clock is you have to admire it.

Old Astronomical Clock

One of the apostles seen through the doors that opened when clock struck on the hour

Creepy moving skeleton

Adella leaves us after the Clock spectacle and we all thank her for the wonderful morning and for sharing her knowledge of Prague with us. Jennifer and I thank her again for her help at the airport yesterday. Milan takes over now and will walk us to a restaurant for lunch. Along the way, Milan dispenses more history of Prague and the buildings we pass by.

Our guide for the Jewels of Bohemia trip, Milan

One of the beautiful street views as we walked to the restaurant.

Milan leads us through the front room of the “Restaurace Mlejnice” restaurant where people are allowed to smoke. We continue to the back room which is nonsmoking where a long table has been reserved for us. When the waiter appears to take our drink order I ask for lemonade. The waiter states “mint or lemon”. I look puzzled and tell him I want lemonade. The young man testily repeats “mint or lemon” to which I say lemon since I don’t know what the heck I would want mint for! It seems that lemonade can be flavored here. Anyway I wasn’t the only one stumped by the question from the brusk waiter. The lunch of salad, roast pork and mashed potatoes was delicious but the portions were huge. This is my kind of food!

Next installment. Exploring Prague with our Austrian friend Birgit

I found the horse and man on the Segway an amusing contrast. Gorgeous buildings everywhere you look.

Someone was creating bubbles on our walk to the restaurant. I just liked this photo

That is colorful!

I just liked the lantern and shadow photo too.

Old man patiently waiting for a fish to bite. Taken from Charles Bridge

What a roller coaster weather ride we have had in our little corner of Kansas this spring and summer! We had flooding rains in May only to have Mother Nature turn the tap off for the entire month of June. June was also very hot with several 100 plus degree days that caused the big bluestem grass in our pastures to stop growing and begin to yellow in color in what should be the prime grass month in the Flint Hills. Corn, beans and milo gamely hung on (how I don’t know) and when a storm system blew through the first week of July providing the parched earth with a much-needed drink, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from our shoulders.

Within two days of this wonderful rain, the pastures turned green again and the crops were noticeably taller. However, the heat came back with a vengeance and we suffered days of searing heat often accompanied by strong winds that felt as though you were in the middle of a blast furnace. Soon the pastures were again looking weary while the cattle found relief in the shade of trees or by immersing themselves in the stock ponds. We had two rains just a couple of days apart the third week of July along with a drop in temperature which raised everyone’s spirits. We knew it wouldn’t last and sure enough the heat and humidity returned with a vengeance but again we were saved by rains in August. Things really look good now especially for this time of year. Just goes to show you can never out guess what Kansas weather will bring.

Looking out our back door in mid August. Unreal

Corn field in mid August. Notice how green the hill is in the background!

I have often come home from various travels somewhat disappointed with the bird life and wildlife that seems thin compared to what we have on the ranch. One day in early June as I was listening to various bird songs drifting through the open windows of the house, I decided to walk the perimeter of our “yard” and make a list of the birds I saw or heard.

Stepping out the back door my first bird sighting was a squadron of barn swallows diving, swooping, banking, and doing loop-de-loops( well not really but I think they could if they wanted to) in pursuit of flying insects too small for human eyes to see. The reason for the bird’s frenzied pursuit of this prey is that they have mud nests in the rafters of our barns full of hungry youngsters. As I move into the yard, some of the bug-hunting parents decide I am a threat and begin dive bombing me, uttering angry bird expletives, warning me to not go near their precious broods.

Once the baby phoebe left the barn swallows moved in and raised a nest full of their own.

Turning the corner of the house I peer up into the solo mud nest that is glued to the side of our house and find the single Eastern Phoebe chick peering back at me. The adult Phoebes managed to lay claim to this barn swallow nest before the rightful owners/builders of the nest took up residence. From here I look over at the hummingbird feeder where a pair of the speedy birds is taking turns sipping the sugar-water. Well, they aren’t really taking turns as one hummingbird will chase its competitor away and dash back for a quick sip, until the other winged bullet returns and chases the dining bird away so it can get a quick meal. There are four feeding stations at the feeder but the two contentious birds can’t stand to share the feeder. What a waste of energy!!

A hummingbird taking a short rest

I wander over to the cattle corral that borders the south end of our yard where a bluebird house is attached to the fence. A male Eastern Bluebird is sitting on the fence, his blue feathers glowing in the sunlight. I’m pretty sure his mate is brooding eggs in the wooden house. Near the bluebird house are a clump of cedar and oak trees and a male Cardinal is belting out his territorial song as Chickadees insert their “namesake” chorus into the Cardinals boisterous singing.

Bluebird. I took no photos on the day of my bird inventory so these photos are from other walks around our place.

Walking towards our shop/garage I find Brown-headed cowbird perching on the electric lines in another of our cow lots. I don’t care much for cowbirds as they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests leaving the rearing of their young to whatever bird is unfortunate enough to have their nests hijacked by the lazy louts. Even worse the young cowbirds will often push their step chicks out of the nest to their death. I guess the one interesting fact to this weird habit is that once the young cowbirds leave the foster parents nest the youngsters join up with their own kind without a second look back at the birds that worked so hard to raise them.

I hear a Baltimore oriole singing (it is one of my favorite bird songs) in the towering hackberry tree that stands near the shop. As I am looking for the bright orange and black bird, I spy a Robin sitting on its nest that is well situated on one of the trees sturdy branches. Cool, I had no idea that this robin’s nest was here. I do find the Oriole and watch the bird for a bit as it rustles through the leaves of the hackberry in search of bugs and worms.

I move on to the grove of walnut trees near the western border of our yard. A Red-bellied Woodpecker is pounding with brain-rattling intensity on a dead limb in one of the walnut trees but decides to fly away upon my intrusion. Walking along the wire fence I arrive at a dead tree and I am surprised to find a Nighthawk doing his best to melt into one of the lifeless limbs in order to hide from me. The camouflage of these birds really is incredible as their mottled pattern blends into the bark of the tree. It is just a bit unusual to find a nighthawk this close to the house.

Nighthawk dressed in great camouflage

Wait a minute! Why is there a bull in the little brome field? The culprit turns out to be the young bull we had put with a small group of heifers yesterday. We had turned the cattle on this brome patch and then opened the gate that leads into the pasture. When Paul saw the cattle grazing in the pasture later in the day he shut the gate. I interrupt my bird watching to inform Paul that we need to put the bull back out into the pasture with his herd, (evidently the yearling bull wasn’t too impressed with his harem), and then find out where the breach in the fence is that allowed the bull to get back into the brome patch. The silly bull decides he doesn’t want to be herded to the gate, so Paul goes into the pasture and calls out to the black heifers. Since the young heifers have been accustomed to being fed grain they come running to the gate in anticipation of receiving a bucket of pellets. Once other bovines are within sight of the silly bull he decides that walking to the other end of the small field is acceptable after all. We shoo him out the gate where he is reunited with his herd. I’m not sure, but I think the heifers would have preferred grain instead of the bull:). Paul and I figure out that the bull did not exit the brome field when the heifers did yesterday and we actually locked him in the brome field by himself overnight! I still saw birds on this unexpected detour including more bluebirds, Tufted Titmice and a wren that was scolding me from the safety of a dense bush.

The silly young bull

I wander out by the vegetable garden where a chipping sparrow is hopping around on the ground. I hear a Blue-grey Gnat Catcher talking to itself in the foliage of a nearby tree but I never catch sight of the tiny bird. Leaving the garden area, I go back to our driveway which takes me by the lilac bushes which are filled with English sparrows conversing in their rather tuneless chatter. More barn swallows swoop and dive near the barn where we store mineral and a tractor. Halfway down the gravel drive I hear the nasal honking of a White-breasted Nuthatch as it scurries up and down the trunk and branches of a big old oak tree. I love these busy little birds that are as comfortable going up a tree trunk as they are walking head first down a tree trunk.

Red-tailed hawk

When I reach the iron gates at the bottom of our driveway a Red-tailed Hawk takes to the air from its perch at the top of a tree. This hawk has been hanging around in the general vicinity all spring. I’m surprised my yard rabbits haven’t been thinned out by the raptor. Across the road in the pasture I listen as a Dickcissel calls out its name over and over. There is also a Great Crested Flycatcher calling from one of the trees that line our driveway.

I turn around and plod back toward the house where I make another left turn once I reach the border of our front lawn. This road takes me next to the lagoon where I spy another bluebird sitting on the top wire of the fence. There are several crows flying over the treetops near the main creek, their raucous cries piercing the air like arrows. As I walk through an open gate a gorgeous Indigo Bunting flies from its perch, its brilliant blue plumage flashing in the sunlight. Continuing on I walk down to the creek crossing where a Great Blue Heron is standing like a piece of yard art in the water. He gives a hoarse croak of surprise and launches himself out of the creek. With deep, ponderous wing strokes the ancient looking fowl flies off to the south.

Great Blue heron but this photo is taken at Wabaunsee Lake

View from the creek crossing where I saw the Great blue heron

Returning to the road I turn right at the gate and walk the grassy path that runs along the creek for a short distance. Our house sits maybe 300 yards north of the path I am on so I consider this part of the house grounds! I don’t see much on this short jaunt although a pair of goldfinch fly out in front of me, the male as bright yellow as a lemon drop. When I reach the cattle lots there is a Killdeer calling out plentifully as it runs around in the south lot. There is no dragging wing display so I don’t think the brown and white bird has a nest. There is also an Eastern Meadowlark sitting atop one of the trees growing in the cow lot, singing at the top of its lungs.

Purple Martin. Please come back next summer!

I have circled back to the shop and am walking toward the house when a pair of Purple Martins land on our martin house animatedly conversing with one another. I am delighted to see the Martins who showed up in our yard a few days ago. We have been putting the martin house up for several years now and there have been lookers but no takers. I have high hopes that this pair will decide this is the perfect spot for them and return to rear their young next year. Last but not least as I approach the back door of our house a House Finch is warbling from his perch in our Sycamore tree which puts a smile on my face at the sound of the pretty tune.

So, in forty-five minutes time more or less, I identified twenty-eight species of birds on our property close to the house. I was surprised not to see any Mourning Doves in the yard and I didn’t see or hear a Belted Kingfisher while near the creek. I know I would have seen a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Upland Sandpiper, and Red-winged Blackbirds if I had walked toward the highway once I reached the end of our driveway. Not a bad tally for such a short time! Later, Nancy

Today we are going to seek out the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs. This is another site that Joy researched and found on the web prior to the reunion and suggested we take one day of our trip to see the petroglyphs. We all agreed that it would be a nice change of pace so to speak!

Highway 14 over Cedar Mountain is the shortest route to our destination and this is the road Paul and Joy took to pick up Doris and Lois. The highway climbs to over 10,000 feet and there is still deep snow for several miles at the top of the mountain. There is also black volcanic rock piled up in places, from some long dead volcano, which makes for an interesting contrast with the crusty snow.

Snowy photo taken from the car

We stop at the tourist information center in the small town of Parowan, which the woman is kind enough to open a bit early, when she notices some of our party peering in the window. The woman is very friendly, chatty and helpful as she directs us to the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs. The dark-haired women also tells us that we should stop at the small park where dinosaur tracks can be seen in rocks just a few miles before we reach Parowan Gap.

We are driving through farm country on our way to the petroglyphs. It appears that the biggest crop around here is alfalfa. The irrigated hay crop looks quite good and in my opinion appears to be ready for harvest. We also see grazing cattle along with some farmers out preparing their fields for planting.

The Millers looking high and low for ancient dinosaur tracks

I found this mounded blooming cactus unusual and pretty

After ten miles over paved and gravel roads we stop at a very unassuming area with a sign proclaiming that we have arrived at the Parowan Gap Dinosaur Track Park which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are various paths that wind around and through various sized boulders that appear to have tumbled down from the rocky escarpment that towers above us. Some of the dinosaur tracks need the use of a good imagination to see them, others have a toe broken off, but there is one dinosaur print that is quite distinct. I don’t know the particulars of how the tracks were preserved after thousands of years but it is pretty cool.

This was the clearest dinosaur track in the park with the metal look-alike print showing you what to look for in the rock

A raven has been hoarsely croaking the whole time we have been here. Scoping out the cliff face we find the unhappy bird standing on the ledge of crevice near what appears to be a nest made of sticks which explains why the glossy bird is scolding us. We also see an unconcerned jack rabbit that is kind enough to hold still so I can take a photo of this long-eared bunny.

The cooperating Jack rabbit

We drive on down the road to the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs and Paul pulls the car into the parking lot where one other car is sitting. It appears we will not be fighting any crowds here. The first petroglyphs are just a few yards from the car. There are placards, one quoting Native Americans and another quoting a scientist, theorizing about what all the chipped out figures stand for but another sign admits that the true meaning of this rock art likely will never be known. The density and variety of the petroglyphs on the rock faces we encounter first is almost dizzying. Despite the mystery of the meaning of the petroglyphs, the amount of time the artists must have spent pecking their art into the rocks is mind-boggling.

Rocks filled with petroglyphs

One of the signs with the Paiutes theory of the meaning of the petroglyphs

There are more petroglyphs at the other end of the gap; there really is a gap here in what is known as the Red Hills. We walk down to have a look at what are more simple works which include a deer, mountain sheep and birds. We then cross the highway and climb up to where more petroglyphs have been etched to get a close up look at the rock art since no barriers hold us back at this site.

Petroglyphs of a deer, sheep and ???

A close-up look of the petroglyphs. Some moron has added their initials unfortunately

More interesting drawings

Once we have soaked up all we can of the petroglyphs we are ready to drive to Cedar City for lunch. We make a quick stop at a Dollar Store so Doris can buy duct tape because the sole on one of her hiking boots has come loose. Paul wraps the black tape around the toe of the boot and it is good as new:).

Hurrah for duct tape although none of us had ever seen this tape in black before. Joy’s photo, Doris’ feet:)

After lunch we drive to Kolab Canyon which is on the north side of Zion National Park. We stop at the visitor center of course to inquire about hiking trails and show the senior pass which allows us access to the park. There is a five-mile scenic drive through the canyon and the road certainly deserves the scenic designation. We are again surrounded by rugged mountains and canyons that leave me gaping at the beauty of the landscape. At the end of the scenic road Paul pulls into the parking lot where there is a trail that we have decided to hike. The view from this overlook is fantastic and after some hesitation I decide not to go on the trek. The main reason I decide to stay behind is that it is really hot and at least from here it appears that the trail has no shade at all. Although the view when you reach the end of the mile long trail is supposed to be wonderful, I decide the beauty I can see from here is enough for me. So the four Millers leave to traverse the trail and I find a rock that is situated under the sparse shade of a pine tree to sit on while I await their return.

Information sign in the parking lot where the hiking trail began in Kolab Canyon

This view was good enough for me

While the four are gone I basically stare at the mountains across the way and find all kinds of figures and faces in the stone. The most compelling imaginary face I see is a man with his hand covering his mouth while his index finger points toward an opening in the mountain. Hmm, I can’t help but use my binoculars to see if there is anything in that small cave the man is pointing at:). Well, I can’t see anything so I guess the stone faced man’s secret is safe.

Photo taken while sitting under the pine tree trying to stay cool.

Can you see a mans face and his pointing finger? Hint his thumb is covering his nose, there is a distinct eye and his ear is above the small opening to the cave. Good luck

The foursome return from there hike and Joy tells me that they have seen a Mountain Lion. Yea right, like any self-respecting cat would be out in this heat and where there are lots of people walking. There is a woman sitting on a boulder next to me, scrolling through the photos on her camera, who looks up and asks me if they really saw a cougar. I laugh and say no, they were just teasing me. This is how rumors get started!

We arrive home to stew that is devoid of liquid due to an ill-fitting lid on the crock pot. Oh well, I just dump in a couple of cups of water and the stew is still pretty good and only a little burnt on the outer edge. Lois takes us on a delightful trip via a slide show to Cambodia and Myanmar tonight (I think). What beautiful and interesting countries. Or perhaps we visited Italy this evening where Lois did some major trekking in that lovely place. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing Lois’ photographs of the trips she took since we all met in England.

We are up in good time again as we want to get to Red Canyon to beat the crowds and hike while it is cool. To my delight there are several elk grazing in the field across the highway. I slip out onto the balcony to snap a photo. The flighty elk soon drift into the cover of the trees that edge the meadow.

Elk that were out early this morning

We arrive at the visitor center well before it is open but this is not a problem. There is a trail that begins from the parking lot and the five of us set off to see what The Pink Ledges trail has to offer. The early morning light is gorgeous as it makes the interesting formations of Red Canyon literally glow. In fact the light is so brilliant that many of my photos are blown out unfortunately.

There is plenty of admiration from the five of us both verbally and through the liberal use of our cameras along the trail. We find some scrubby dead trees that humans have decorated by placing red stones in the forks of their branches. It is amazing how many rocks have been loaded in these trees. I don’t get it but have to admit I laugh at the ridiculous sight of these stone adorned trees.

One of the stone adorned trees

Look at that sandstone glow in the early morning light

Beauty around every corner

Pink Ledges Trail is not a lengthy trek but it certainly is a beautiful one, where new wonders are presented around ever bend in the gravely path. There is one place that is so picturesque that after I take a photo of the siblings, I agree to a photo of just Paul and me. Those of you who know me well know I try to stay behind a camera and avoid being in front of one if at all possible! I think Joy, Lois, and Doris all had a single photo taken with their own cameras too. As we near the bottom of the trail, Joy asks us to sniff a certain tree and see what odor comes to mind. Definitely vanilla in my opinion! Lois takes the assignment very seriously and I’m sure if a stranger happened upon us at that time their eyebrows might have raised a notch or two. It was funnier than heck and I have the photo to prove it :).

Paul and Doris looking at the trail map

Group photo time

Lois I had to include this photo. It is so funny

When we have finished this wonderful hike we walk back to the visitor center which is now open. The human traffic has also intensified and I am so glad we were on the trail early as lots of folks are beginning to walk it now. Paul and Joy inquire about more trails, and the man they are dealing with is quite a card. After much banter between the three they finally get down to figuring out another trail for us to hike. I wander around the gift portion of the center and find a nifty jigsaw puzzle featuring rock formations from the various Utah national parks. My mom is a jigsaw puzzle junkie, so I decide to buy it for her, (she let me know recently that she finished putting it together already).

We all congregate back at the car, where I throw my purchase in the back, then we agree to trek Birdseye trail which also starts from the parking lot. We actually walk back where we finished our morning hike but veer off in the other direction to begin walking the Birdseye Trail. Along with the rise of temperature there is a definite rise in highway traffic which runs along the edge of Red Canyon. This is the one negative I have against Red Canyon, you can see and hear the constant line of cars that are traveling to Bryce Canyon.

Hiking Birdseye Trail. Love that gnarly tree

Paul checking out the scenery

Another twisted tree along the trail

This is another winning hike which we have mostly to ourselves. Hoodoos, sunlit red cliffs and gnarly trees are sights that greet us as we mosey along the trail. We soon become spread out along the pathway and I take a fork in the trail that leads me straight up a smooth surfaced mountain side. When I am nearly to the top of the mountain the path becomes barely visible plus the rock is quite slick. Obviously this trail was made by hikers getting off the beaten path. When I turn around to go back down the slippery slope I wonder what the heck I was thinking. I turn my feet slightly sideways and take short shuffling steps while using my walking sticks to help keep my balance as I make my way back down to the real trail.

Taking a short break

Birdseye Trail ends at the highway’s shoulder and we cross the road and follow the biking path back to the visitor center. It is only mid-morning so Paul suggests that we try to find another hiking trail the staff member highly recommended. The road to the trail is in the direction of home anyway so the rest of us agree that we might as well go for it. We turn on the gravel road and trundle down the bumpy road for several miles. We drive past a lot where a few cars are parked but we don’t see a sign for the trail. Paul drives on and around the bend are more stunning red sandstone formations ahead of us. Somehow it is determined that we must go back to the first place we passed for The Arches trail head but that extra drive was well worth it due to the pretty landscape we saw.

Again there are very few people here and most have already finished the hike. We must cross a dry river bed to get to the actual trail so I keep my eyes on the ground in case there might be an Indian artifact that washed up in the river bed. No luck in finding any arrowheads unfortunately. The Arches trail is a bit challenging in places with narrow walkways or small loose gravel that can cause you to slip on descents but we all manage to stay upright. The trail has its own charm with a small arch here and there and plenty of hoodoos to look at. There are more twisted dead trees to try to incorporate into photos, mostly with no decent outcome for me though.

No signs explaining this rock structure

An arch partly obscured by tree limbs

Interesting formations

Rock window

I would assume this rock will eventually be separated into hoodoos

Paul and Joy enjoying Arches trail

When we have completed the hike we return to the house. Paul grills hamburgers for lunch and then it is time to begin readying things for our departure tomorrow. We want to leave as early as possible in the morning as we are taking Doris and Lois to Cedar City before we begin the long drive back to Joy’s mountain home. Doris and Lois will take a shuttle to St. George where they will pick up a rental car and continue their tour of the Southwest. The two will travel to the Grand Canyon and then to Sedona and Phoenix. Paul and I of course will have another long drive to Kansas after spending the night with Joy. It has been another fun Miller reunion and we are all looking forward to the next one. Nancy